Meritocracy remains a sensitive word...

when used on entry requirements to institutions of higher learning and entitlement to scholarships.

I am referring to Malaysiakini’s Vox Populi: 'PSD scholarships: Publish names, results' and 'Wee: PSD scholarships should be given on merit'.

Our political leaders should be able to take the bull by the horns and deal with these problems unless they admit they do not have the political will.

Meritocracy is made out to be a dirty word as though it means only the non-Bumis are going to grab them all. If this perception is true, then there are serious faults in their mindset and being defeatist is one of them.

While compromise might be necessary, it should not be at the expense of quality. Once we have decided on the minimum requirements, there should be no exceptions. After 50 years, it should be clear to the people, that if the individual is not up to it, there is no point in giving him or her the chance. Let it be known that the opportunities are there and he has to make the grade.

Similarly, the scholarships are available to them, and it is up to them to go for it by working hard to achieve the grades set. Many people believe that the drop in standards of education and qualifications has a lot to do with tinkering by the examiners at the behest of political leaders.

According to PT Tan: “Looks like those in charge of uplifting academic achievements cannot understand the difference between a bursary and a scholarship. Scholarships are strictly based on merit, nothing more. Meaning the best gets it, period. Bursaries are for those who need financial help to carry on their normal studies and may not necessarily be for top students only.”

Whatever it is, our government should try to meet the needs of all those who qualify, based on the set criteria like minimum grades, parents’ incomes and so on. The people would wish those who have the means, do not compete with those without. It is not uncommon to find Ministers’ children getting scholarships due to their influence and even able to choose the country of their choice! While it might be unfair to discriminate against them, some ministers are wealthy for all to see and this is the cause for complaints. It is up to the conscience of the Minister whether he wants to displace someone more deserving under the circumstances.

I know of a relation who is a Professor in a local university and her husband worked for a quasi-government body. Their elder son applied for scholarship to study medicine and was given a different course instead. He applied on his own and obtained admission and for unknown reasons, he was offered the scholarship. The reasons could be, if they had to show a few to be given to non-Bumis, he seemed most deserving, based on merit as well as his parents’ occupations. A couple of years later, his younger brother’s results were just as excellent, and he was offered a scholarship but the parents did not feel nice to accept another offer and rather gave the chance to someone else! This is an example of selflessness, which we should emulate.

What I find confounding is that while we are short of medical doctors, we refuse to offer more scholarships to those deserving cases. In a matter of years we would have more doctors. Yet, we rather offer to those foreign doctors who have yet to comply with our requirements for local practice.

We are also prepared to offer unusually good terms to entice those who are well established abroad, to come back. For long term planning, I am sure it is better to offer opportunities to those who made the grade, regardless of race, than to try and attract people who left because of unfair conditions and who are already earning way beyond what we can offer locally.

I know of someone who made good in IT in the USA and was offered a salary of between Rm10,000 to Rm20,000 per month to help our MSC programme. Even in USD, the salary offered was way below what he used to get!

We could have tap on those who did their first degree on their own overseas and need scholarships to do their post-graduate or other specialist courses, on the condition that they work for the government for a number of years.

In the meantime, countries like Singapore, Britain, USA and Australia, can easily attract the disillusioned Malaysian students, causing brain drain to our country, thanks to our insecure and narrow-minded leaders.

Perhaps, we can look at it with pride that we are generous in freely exporting brainpower while offering employment to our neighbours’ overpopulation!